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Brooklyn Nets bring in San Antonio's Sean Marks as new general manager

Sean Marks, left, spent the last two years as assistant GM to the Spurs and now looks to lead the rebuilding process in Brooklyn. AP

NEW YORK — Sean Marks is leaving the San Antonio Spurs to undertake the rebuilding of the Brooklyn Nets.

He was hired Thursday (Friday, Manila time) as general manager of the Nets, hours before the league's trade deadline.

Marks has spent the last five years with the Spurs, including the last two as assistant general manager. He was an assistant coach when they won the 2014 NBA title and also served as GM of the Austin Spurs, their team in the NBA Development League.

Owner Mikhail Prokhorov said Marks was the unanimous choice of the committee that selected the replacement for Billy King, who was reassigned Jan. 10 when the Nets fired coach Lionel Hollins.

"His experience on the court, in coaching and management gives him a 360-degree view of the job at hand. His background helping to build one of the greatest teams in the NBA gives him an unparalleled frame of reference," Prokhorov said in a statement. "And he impressed us all with his vision, his values, his personality and his enthusiasm for the club."

Marks will need all of those and more to take on what appears to be a difficult task. The Nets are 14-40, the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, and the future might look worse. They don't own a first-round pick this year or in 2018, having dealt them to Boston in a trade made under King.

Attendance has dwindled this season after three straight seasons in the playoffs, but Marks called the Nets a "vibrant and dynamic organization that represents Brooklyn."

"I would like to thank Nets' ownership for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to the challenge of creating a unified culture and building a winning team," he said.

Beyond filling out the roster, Marks will also have to help select a coach. Tony Brown was given the job on an interim basis for the rest of the season when Hollins was fired.

Marks played 12 years in the NBA with six teams, including the Spurs. The New Zealand native also played for his country in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics.